By Russell Findlay

The partner of acid attack victim Teresa McCann was charged with assaulting her months after the horror doorstep attack that scarred her for life.

Thomas Tams, 47, was accused of injuring the 38-year-old by seizing her hair, brandishing a baseball bat, slapping and repeatedly punching her head and kicking her body.

It was also alleged that he dragged Ms McCann by the hair and threw her out of a property in Gracemount, Edinburgh.

Prosecutors said the violence happened on "repeated occasions" on February 16 and 17 - three months after Ms McCann had acid thrown in her face while answering her front door.

Tams was due to stand trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but the Crown Office today dropped the single charge which was aggravated by being her partner.

STV News asked the Crown Office why they dropped the case but they did not provide an explanation, saying: "It is the duty of the Crown to keep cases under review and after full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, the procurator fiscal decided that there should be no further proceedings taken at this time.

"The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available."

Last November, Ms McCann was putting her children to bed when she answered the door to a stranger who hurled a corrosive substance at her.

Detectives believe that Tams was the intended target of the attack. They arrested a 29-year-old man a month later but he was released without charge.

At the time, Ms McCann told STV News: "My face was literally melting - the pain was indescribable. I really did think I was going to die."

Following the attack, Tams launched an online fundraising campaign for her which raised £1400.

Police Scotland said "enquiries are still ongoing" into the acid attack.